The New Beginning
by iheartryan
Summary: It's the beginning of Senior year, and Ryan has never even been to Newport. Actually, he never even stole that car. But as fate would have it, they were destined to meet eventually, in fact Marissa is about to take a turn that leads her right to Ryan...
1. The End

**Chapter 1: The End

* * *

**

As Marissa was running up the stairs to her room, she knew it wasn't where she should be. She was meant to be out with Luke, at a party, forgetting about the fact that her mother was ignoring her and even her father had forgotten her birthday. Now everything had come crashing down around her. She needed to get out; the day's events were pounding through her mind, all she could think of was Luke's slurred voice repeating, "I'm breaking up with you". She knew he was drunk, they both were, but somehow she could see that he was speaking his thoughts.

Marissa had never even contemplated a life without Luke, they had been together since the 5th grade, and now in their senior year of high school, their relationship had finally ended. There was only one thing Marissa had left to do, call Summer.

"Hey Coop, where are you? You are missing like the best party ever!"

"Hey, how'd you know it was me?"

"Caller ID Coop, like how drunk are you?"

"Whatever, I really need to tell you something, can you go someplace quiet? I can barely hear you."

"Yeah, hang on a sec."

At the party, Summer noticed something different in Marissa's voice, she didn't sound like her normal self, she sounded like she was upset, maybe even crying. After moving upstairs, Summer could finally hear Marissa clearly.

"Ok Coop, spill."

"Luke broke up with me," Marissa cried into the phone in-between muffled sobs.

"He what?" Summer almost shouted into the phone before-"Wait a sec Coop, was he drunk?"

"Yeah but-"

"Coop! You know better than to trust anything Luke says when he's drunk"

"I know Sum, but this time, its different. He actually meant it, I could just tell."

"Marissa. You're not thinking straight. Get some sleep, it'll all be better in the morning."

"But that's just it Sum, it won't be better in the morning, the only guy I've ever loved has left me, there's nothing left for me in Newport, I can't stay here anymore."

"Coop, now you're just overreacting, go get some sleep and clear you're head."

"Sorry Sum, I just can't be here anymore."

"Marissa!" Summer yelled into the phone, but it was too late, her best friend had hung up.

In her room, Marissa was packing one of her many designer bags with some essential belongings; clothes, money and some toiletries. She hesitated to pack her phone, she didn't want to talk to anyone, but decided to simply turn it off and take it just in case.

She managed to shut the large heavy front door quietly as she made her way out onto the deserted street. Overwhelmed by the thoughts in her head, she began to run, and she kept running until she found herself at the bus station. Marissa jumped on the first bus that came past, not knowing where she was going or why. All Marissa could think of was getting away, away from Newport, away from her family, and most of all, away from Luke.

Marissa collapsed into a seat at the back of the Greyhound, and cried herself to sleep as she watched the Newport she once knew slowly fading to the distance.

She awoke with a fright as the bus pulled into a decrepit bus shelter. She made her way to the front of the now empty bus, as the driver said once again,

"Last stop, Chino. Last stop."

* * *


	2. The Construction

A/N: Thanks guys for all the positive reviews you sent. I hope you enjoy the next chapter. Remember to tell us what you think.

* * *

Chapter 2 – The Construction

* * *

As the early morning sun rose, Ryan Atwood was stirring in his sleep. The sunlight was seeping in through the cracks between the curtains, filling the room with warmth. After a few minutes, Ryan's alarm went off for its scheduled 6:30 wakeup, disturbing him from the peaceful state he was in. Normally he would have had taken the opportunity to jump out of bed and been straight in the shower before going to work at Chino Constructions, but today something felt different. As much as Ryan liked that time of the morning and the tranquility he felt at work, without having the hassle of Dawn shouting at him or a drunken AJ beating him up, something was telling Ryan not to go to work today. 

After letting the construction company know that he was not coming in today, he stepped outside. As he did so, he zipped up his jacket; there was a cool winter wind in the air this morning.

_Chino isn't normally this cold, _Ryan thought to himself as he started to pace down the street slowly; he was in no hurry, there was nowhere he needed to be. Wandering around the empty streets in his neighborhood, Ryan noticed how Chino had changed over the years. The town used to be alive with young families, the streets filled with luscious green lawns where numerous house parties were held. There were no gangs that hung around town, no need for the police to stop someone from stealing a car or robbing the corner store. But as the years had grown on, Chino had taken a turn for the worst. As the new generation grew older, the town began to be filled with crime and violence. The once beautiful, busy streets had grown deserted as the drought struck California. Brown lawns, run-down buildings, graffiti; that was the Chino Ryan now knew and had grown up in.

With his head down and shoulders hunched, Ryan gradually made his way back to the deserted playground at the end of his street. As he entered the playground, he walked over to the tattered old swings and sat down. He came here sometimes just to think. The place reminded him of all the happy memories he had as a child, not that he had many, but the thought of being here just seemed to make things simpler. Today he had come here to think about yesterday's events.

Theresa, his ex-girlfriend, had told him that she was engaged to one of his oldest friends, Eddie. As much as he was happy for her, he just wasn't sure if he was completely over her. They had a long history together, having known each other since they were born. She was his first girlfriend, his first kiss, his first love.

After noticing a couple of young kids had arrived at the park, Ryan realized he had been out most of the morning. He got up off the swing and left the playground. As he was walking along the sidewalk, past the bus shelter, Ryan noticed a girl lying across the lone bench. _Just another homeless person_, was his first thought before he noticed her designer clothes and bag. _That's odd_, he thought as he walked over to the girl to see if she was okay. She appeared to be asleep but Ryan noticed a few almost empty beer bottles next to her and realized she must have passed out. While he looked over her a bit longer, he saw she was shivering from the cold. Seeing this, Ryan took off his heavy leather jacket and placed it over her. Startled from the sudden weight on her, Marissa awoke to see a teenage boy peering down at her, before she passed out again.

* * *


	3. The Rescue

Thanks everyone for all the great reviews. We are trying to post as often as possible so keep checking for updates.

* * *

Chapter 3 – The Rescue

* * *

After seeing the mysterious girl wake up only briefly before passing out again, it was clear to Ryan he couldn't just leave her there. She was freezing from the cold and would need proper food when she woke again. 

He decided to leave her with his jacket for the moment, so that she wouldn't get cold while he went to get her a coffee.

He walked the 100m back to his house and made her a strong coffee in hope that when she drank it, it would keep her awake. With the mug in hand, he grabbed a couple of pieces of fruit before going back to her.

Ryan gently woke Marissa and handed her the coffee.

"I made it quite strong,"

"Oh, thankyou," Marissa said whilst attempting to steady herself on the bench. She held a hand to her head, trying to stop her mind from spinning, she wasn't sure if she had spoken to this boy before, or how much he knew about her. Thankfully, he answered her mind's question by introducing himself.

"Uh, I'm Ryan Atwood, I live down the street," he said, pointing back towards his house.

"Oh okay, I see, I'm ah…I'm…ah," her mind flashed back to the previous night, and she remembered that no-one knew she was here, but now that didn't matter, she needed an excuse to forget. She quickly realised that she had stopped mid-sentence and the boy who she now knew to be Ryan Atwood, was looking at her, waiting for a reply.

"Oh sorry," she smiled, "I'm Marissa Cooper, I live –" she stopped again, she didn't know what direction Newport was in, "In um, Newport I guess," she swayed, the alcohol still intoxicating her body.

"Whoa, look out," Ryan had managed to steady her and was now sitting right next to her on the bench, so close that he could feel her shivering and almost hear her teeth chattering.

"We need to get you out of the cold." Ryan said, helping Marissa to her feet. As he as pushing her up off the seat, he realised that she was unable to stand without aid.

"Okay, how about I take you to my place, I'll make you some breakfast and get you nice and warm again?" Ryan asked, steadying her.

Marissa couldn't decline the offer, she really WAS freezing and couldn't move anywhere without help.

"Why are you helping me? You don't even know me!" Marissa questioned, her words distorted, like her minds capabilities to judge while under the influence.

Truthfully, Ryan wasn't really sure why he was helping her, usually in Chino its every man for himself, but he liked her, and this he couldn't explain either. His reply must have sounded somewhat credible to Marissa, even though it was full of umm's and ahhh's, because she linked arms with him and they turned towards Ryan's house.

She was trying noticeably hard to stable herself, but she was still wasted from the night before. Marissa already looked out of place in Chino, and dawdling down the streets wasn't going to convince anyone that she was stable, Ryan could take the stumbling no longer.

"Here we go, lets walk a bit faster hey?" Ryan whispered to Marissa, before scooping her up into his arms and beginning to stride quickly home.

"Heeeeey, what are you..?" Marissa giggled into Ryan's ear, she then swung her arms around his neck before pecking him on the cheek and giggling again.

Ryan blushed and couldn't help smiling, already this girl was making him experience emotions he didn't usually feel.

When nearly at Ryan's house, Marissa jumped out of his arms and tried to run back down the street, again the drinks from the night before had been playing with her natural emotions. Luckily Ryan was quick enough to save her from tripping, he picked her up again and pushed his way through his front door, down the hall, and into his room. He kicked the clothes off his bed and carefully lay Marissa down, pulling the blankets over her to stop her from shivering.

* * *


	4. The Smile

Okay, here's the next chapter everyone. Sorry it's taken like 2 weeks to get up, we actually wrote heaps but then somehow it got lost or something, so we had to start again. This chapter actually ended up quite long, so we've decided to break it into smaller chapters so we can catch up a bit on writing. Thanks again to anyone who is still reading and please review once you are done. The next chapter should be up in a day or two.

Chapter 4 – The Smile

Ryan left his room to get Marissa something to eat. As he entered the living room he realised that his fears were confirmed. His mother had left, as well as AJ.

They didn't normally have a very clean house but the state that the place had been left in was beyond belief, the couch was overturned, the TV was face down on the floor, probably smashed, and there were various bits of rubbish thrown about the place. It was obvious that they had left in a hurry, apparently taking advantage of Ryan's departure this morning.

Ryan took a deep breath, taking in the chaos, before turning towards the kitchen, only just realising how hungry he actually was. Stomach rumbling, he opened the cupboard, and much to his delight, he found half a box of cereal and some bread.

Ryan buttered his bread while contemplating what to do with Marissa. He decided that she needed to rest for the moment, and that he'd take her breakfast in a couple of hours when she finally awoke. Ryan hadn't thought about what to do after the next few hours. She obviously had a family, and friends, but did she do this regularly? _She's in pretty bad shape_, Ryan thought as his protective drive went into overdrive, but he managed to calm himself enough to organise some questions in his mind to ask her once she stirred from her sleep.

After a couple of hours had passed, Ryan had managed to clean up the house. The trash had been taken out, the furniture was turned upright again and the broken TV was on the table. It seemed that AJ and his mom had only taken their personal belongings and majority of the food. The fridge was empty, the cupboards barely containing anything at all, it looked like he was going to go grocery shopping later that afternoon. As Ryan collapsed onto the couch to rest after his hard work, he suddenly looked up as he heard the click to his bedroom door, and the sound of Marissa's footsteps approaching him. He smiled when he saw that she had put his jacket on once again.

"Hey. Glad to see you're finally awake," Ryan said, a smile still obvious on his face.

"Hi," Marissa said shyly, a smile now evident on her face too.


	5. The Conversation

Thanks to all our readers and reviewers for being so patient with our slow updates. At the moment, we have alot going on in school and outside of school but we are updating as soon as we can. Please keep reading (and reviewing) and we will update ASAP.

* * *

Chapter 5 – The Conversation

"Are you feeling better? You seemed to have a pretty bad hangover this morning," Ryan told her slowly, unsure if she was actually following him. He watched her eyes wander around the room, taking notice as her gaze stopped on the broken TV and at the shabby kitchen, before he spoke to her again.

"Marissa?" Ryan hesitantly said, silently wondering if he had remembered her name correctly.

"Yeah…," Marissa said softly before snapping back into reality, "Sorry, I was just- "

"Daydreaming?" he asked. She nodded her head in response. "Yeah, I kinda gathered that. So how about I fix you something to eat? I have some bre-," he cut himself off what he was saying as he realised that he had just eaten the rest of the food in his house. "Actually I don't really have that much here…" his voice trailing off as he thought about his place and lack of necessities must look in her eyes. "But we could go for a walk down to the corner store to get something to eat? I think I need some stuff for here anyways," looking over to the near empty kitchen

"Okay. That'd be nice. I could do with the fresh air." She replied.

"Okay. I don't suppose you have a jacket with you," pointing to his jacket she was still wearing.

"Oh sorry, I don't," she said whilst taking off his jacket and holding it out for him to take, thinking he wanted it back.

"No, it's ok. You can wear it for now. I'm fine, I'll just go grab some cash and we can get going" Ryan said to her as he started making his way back to his bedroom, only to find Marissa push abruptly past him to block the doorway.

"That's okay. I'll pay for it, after all, you had put up with me being in your way for most of the day, I can see that you definitely have other things on your mind," motioning towards the areas that were clearly missing objects.

"You aren't in my way…you're what is making my day actually be worthwhile. I mean, you can probably tell my mum just left, not that it matters that much, she wasn't here most of the time, always out with that idiotic boyfriend of her's…" his voice slowly disappearing as he noticed the expression on her face. She looked shocked, so very shocked; she immediately rushed off into his bedroom to get her purse. She had acted as if she didn't know life could actually be this way, which she probably didn't. But she also looked stunned that he had just blurted all that out to her, just openly admitted it. It was true. He barely ever said two words to anyone, let alone spoke about his family but for some reason this girl was doing stuff to him, making him act completely different to his normal behaviour. He looked down at the ground, embarrassed. Why had he just admitted all that? He barely even knew the girl. Why was he acting so strangely today? After he realised that she had reappeared and was standing in front of him again, he looked up again. Their eyes immediately locked. The connection between them was instant. He already knew he was attracted to her. To anyone else, she would have looked awful, she clearly still had alcohol in her system, but for some reason, to him, she looked gorgeous. To Marissa, when their eyes locked, she knew that what she was feeling towards this guy wasn't influenced by the alcohol. He looked so…, she couldn't even describe it in words. The way he had shared everything just before, showed Marissa that the attraction was mutual, and that he trusted her. After keeping their eyes locked for what seemed like an eternity, Ryan finally broke their gaze.

"Well we should get going shouldn't we?" holding out a hand for her to hold. He knew she would need support to walk stably.

"Yes, we should," Marissa said, a hint of flirting evident in her voice as she welcomely accepted his hand.

* * *

Please review. It makes our day and seems to make us want to update sooner. 


	6. The Evening

Sorry everyone about the lack of updates. School has been chaotic, spending every bit of free time studying. Don't expect another update too soon, but there should be a few in early July COZ ITS HOLIDAYS!

Chapter 6: The Evening

Marissa ended up spending the night at Ryan's. It wasn't like it was planned or anything, it just sort of happened.

They came back from the store, with plenty of food in tow. At the store, they didn't say much, only occasionally when asking if they wanted something. After they put the groceries away, they sat down at the kitchen table. It was an awkward silence at first, neither of them sure what to say after what had happened earlier.

"So…" Marissa finally said, unsure of what to say next, but then she remembered the reason they went shopping on the first place.

"How about I make us something to eat? I can do…Mac and cheese or….Mac and cheese," she offered, even though she doubted he'd turn down the offer. There was something about this guy she couldn't lay her finger on. He didn't seem turned off by her disheveled appearance, or annoyed by the fact that she was in his house.

"Then Mac and cheese it is. While you do that, I'll try and see if I can fix that." He said, pointing to the broken TV. He knew he wouldn't be able to do anything about the cracked screen, but he could probably do something about the electrical parts.

"Sounds like a plan." The rest of the evening soared by. Ryan managed to fix the TV and they ate Marissa's Mac and cheese, which by miracle, she didn't burn for once. They talked through dinner, avoiding talking about their lives or asking questions about the other though they so desperately wanted to, discussing only stuff like school, media and politics. They weren't what either of them normally called interesting topics but for some reason, it was the most fun both of them had had in ages.

Ryan did the washing up, in thanks for Marissa's meal, and then they moved into the other room to watch some TV. Sitting down on the small couch, there wasn't much room, so they sat relatively close to each other.

As they watched the cracked screen, Ryan and Marissa didn't talk much. They were both taking in the feeling of being such a close proximity with one another. They felt every movement, heard every breath, took in every scent. They silently agreed to leave the talking for another time, leaving the evening for relaxation.

It wasn't late, but by the time the Saturday night movie started, Marissa was exhausted. It had been a long day, and she couldn't stay awake any longer. She slowly drifted to sleep, her head sliding down before coming to rest on Ryan's shoulder.

Ryan was contemplating how to ask Marissa what she was doing here, and what she was intending to do in the next few days when he felt her head hit his shoulder. He was startled at first, but then he realised she was asleep. He smiled at how cute she looked. Her hair was sweeping across her face, her body rising and falling with each breath. If they hadn't just met each other, he would have been tempted to kiss her.

He turned off the TV, and sat there watching her for a few minutes, trying to decide what to do with her. They hadn't really talked about her staying here, it was probably to do with fact they didn't talk about their lives, but he always intended to offer for her to stay a few nights, just until she was ready to go back to Newport.

Ryan didn't have the heart to leave her on the couch; it got cold in Chino at night. Finally deciding what to do, he carefully placed his arms underneath her and lifted her up. Trying not to wake her, Ryan carried Marissa down the hallway, into his bedroom, and carefully laid her down on his bed. He covered her with his blanket, and tucked her in. He quietly shut the door behind him as he left the room.

_I guess we'll just have to talk in the morning, _Ryan thought as he drifted off to sleep on the couch.


	7. The News

hey everyone. sorry its been so long. hope you like it anyways.

* * *

Chapter 7: The News

Marissa awoke the next morning to the aroma of breakfast cooking. She could smell bacon and eggs along with various other things; the scent of the food seeping in through the crack under the door.

Sitting up in the bed, Marissa was startled by her surroundings. It took her a few seconds to figure out where she was, not at all remembering going to sleep there.

She desperately needed to go to the bathroom, but had absolutely no idea where it was. Not wanting to let Ryan know she was up, at least until she had made herself half presentable, Marissa searched through her bag to find something to wear. Whilst searching, she found her phone and saw it was still switched off. She thought about turning it on for a second, but realised she still wasn't ready to talk to anyone from home yet. Placing her phone on the bed, she grabbed her toiletries and the towel Ryan had left out for her to use before quietly opening the bedroom door and creeping out into the hallway.

Walking in the opposite direction of the kitchen, Marissa opened various doors until she found the one to the bathroom. She stepped inside and locked the door behind before turning on the water in the shower.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Ryan heard the water from the shower hitting the floor of the bath and instantly knew Marissa was awake. He took the chance of her being in the shower for him to get something else to wear out of his bedroom, not only wanting to impress Marissa but just wanting to get out of the clothes from yesterday.

Turning off the water and stepping out of the bath tub, Marissa dried her body before wrapping the towel around her. _It feels good to clean again_, Marissa thought as she looked at herself in the cracked mirror. She quickly tied her wet hair up into a messy bun before going back to Ryan's bedroom to get dressed.

Opening the door to the bedroom, Marissa was shocked to find a shirtless Ryan standing in the room. On one side of the room, Marissa quickly found herself staring at Ryan's chest; taking in his very well toned six pack and muscular arms. He obviously worked out.

On the other side of the room, Ryan instantly started staring at Marissa. His eyes were on her beautiful slender body, covered only by a towel. She looked amazing, even though she wasn't wearing a stunning outfit or wearing any make-up, she was beautiful.

A few moments passed before either of them realised that they were staring at the other, and that neither of them were fully dressed.

"Oh. I'm sorry…I'll just wait until you're done," Marissa hastily said before stepping out of the room and closing the door behind her.

In the hallway, Marissa thought about what had just happened. _Oh my god…he has such a hot body! Everything about this guy just keeps getting better. Not only is he hot, but he was caring enough to let me stay here last night, wherever here is…_

In his bedroom, Ryan was also thinking about what just happened whilst finishing getting dressed. _She's beautiful. How on earth did I meet such a stunning girl, _Ryan thought before he remembered how he did meet her. He still had to talk to her about that, and when she was planning to go back home, if she was going to go back at all.

Picking his leather jacket up off the floor, Ryan was done getting dressed and went over to open the door. He found Marissa, still holding her towel around her, leaning on the wall opposite him.

"Room is all your's," Ryan said, gesturing for her to go in.

"Thankyou. I'll only be a few minutes," Marissa replied as she went in and shut the door behind her.

As Marissa was getting dressed, Ryan went back to the kitchen to set the table for breakfast. Placing the old cutlery and plates on the table, Ryan thought about what he was going to say to Marissa once she came out. He didn't want to be pushy or rude, it's not like he wanted her to feel like she had to leave, he enjoyed having her there. He just wanted to find out why she was even in Chino; it was obvious she was from nowhere near there. His thoughts were disrupted when suddenly Marissa appeared in the room.

She looked gorgeous. She wasn't even wearing anything special, just a pair of jeans and a long singlet top, but to someone of a lower class background such as Ryan, she looked outstanding.

"Wow…I mean…umm…hi…sorry about before…I didn't realise…uhh…yeah," Ryan struggled for words, still a taken back by Marissa's appearance.

Marissa giggled at Ryan stumbling before noticing breakfast on the table.

"Did you make all this?" Marissa asked, stunned.

"Umm…yeah. My mum isn't….wasn't really much of a cook…so you know…yeah…umm…let's eat," Ryan casually said, having finally recovered from his initial shock of how Marissa looked, as he sat down at the table.

Marissa quickly joined him, loading her plate with plenty of food she knew her mother wouldn't approve of. It wasn't until she took that first bite, that she felt the slightest bit released of her mother's wrath.

They ate in silence; Ryan still contemplating how to ask about her past, Marissa just enjoying being away from the chaos of the Newport social scene.

"So…umm…Marissa…I don't mean to be rude or anything," Ryan started, still deciding what to say next, "But why are you in Chino?"

Marissa stopped staring at her food and looked up at Ryan. She knew this conversation was coming; she was surprised it hadn't come up earlier. She guessed it had just never been the right time.

"Well…um…" Marissa began, but she froze. Why was she in Chino? Could she tell this boy about her life in Newport? Would he understand that its not all its cracked up to be, or would he think she was a spoiled brat with nothing to complain about?

"Look, I'm sorry, it's not my business..." Ryan stood up and began to clear his plate, but stopped as he felt Marissa's hand turn him back around to face her again.

"It _is_ your business, you let me stay in your home without even knowing who I was," and come to think of it, Marissa couldn't understand why Ryan hadn't taken advantage of the situation, there was something about Ryan that made her trust him. Her mother would never approve.

Ryan looked into Marissa's eyes, leaning forwards with his hands on the table, his body language showing that he was open minded and willing to listen.

Seeing as Ryan was still waiting for a reply, Marissa couldn't hold back from telling him any longer. As Marissa slowly revealed her world to Ryan, she realised that she was telling him some things that she had even refrained from telling Summer.

_Why wasn't this awkward,_ she wondered to herself. She felt like she could tell him anything and he wouldn't care, he would just listen, and for the rest of the day that's what he did. At one point they decided to move outside, sitting on the tattered old chairs of Ryan's verandah, watching the sunset. It wasn't as beautiful as a Newport sunset against the water, but it came pretty close.

* * *

ok you know the drill. read and review. love amilia and chess 


	8. The Friends and Family

Hey everyone. Sorry this chapter is really short and probably really bad as well, but it's been so hectic around here lately, its hard trying to find time to write. I promise I'll try to get a longer one up soon, I just need to get my life back in order first. R & R. I appreciate all honest reviews, so please tell me if it's bad.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 8 - The Friends and Family

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the sun set on the beach at Newport, a woman stood on the balcony of her mansion, with a mobile phone in her hand, and thought about her daughter.

"Any luck Julie?" came the concerned voice of a well-dressed blonde woman at the door,

"What do you think Kirsten? Her cell is still off, what am I supposed to do?" Kirsten walked towards Julie and comforted her with a motherly hug,

"She'll come back, she may just need to realise how much she needs you first." Somewhat consoled, Julie followed her friend inside and sat down at the table with her husband Jimmy, and Kirsten's husband Sandy.

"So what's the plan of action?" came Sandy's voice, heavy with concern, he knew that Marissa was not a perfect daughter, and could easily get herself into trouble.

"Summer!" exclaimed Julie, evidently not listening to what was going on around her, "Why didn't I think of it before! If anyone knows where Marissa is, it would be her."

In response to the rapid knocking, Summer heaved open the large front door, and was greeted by a cold faced Julie Cooper, "Yeah? Oh, Julie, hi, uh, how are you Mrs. Cooper?"

"Summer, where is my daughter?"

"Oh, Marissa? Uh, she's.. I have no idea Mrs. Cooper, I'm so sorry."

"Oh My God," Julie had to sit down, she had thought that Summer would know for sure where her daughter was, and if _Summer_ didn't know, who _would_ know?

"Have you spoken to her since she left?" Asked Julie,

"Uh, no I haven't been able to get through, all I get is her voicemail... Have you asked anyone else if they know where she is?"

"No, not me personally, we've had the cops search all of Newport but they haven't found anything. No one has any idea where she is or what made her leave."

"Well, have you tried looking up her credit card?"

"Yeah, the cops searched the records and said the last time she used it was last week,"

"So that means that wherever she is it must be within either bus or walking distance of Newport, or she wouldn't have had enough cash on her to get there.."

"Yes! Summer that is totally right! I'll get the police to check where she could have taken a bus to at that hour of the night. Maybe I'll call Luke too, she could be hiding with him."

"Mrs. Cooper, I don't think Marissa is going to be with Luke at the moment."

"Why's that sweetie?"

"Actually I think Luke might be the reason Marissa left in the first place,"

"No, don't be silly honey, Marissa and Luke are a very stable couple!"

"Uhh… I wouldn't be too sure of that Mrs. Cooper. You see…" Summer started before being cut off by Marissa's very impatient mother.

"Don't tell me they broke up Summer. They couldn't have. It's impossible, they have been together for years."

"Yes… that may be so, but Marissa called me the other night. Right before she disappeared. She sounded distraught, and she kept going on about how Luke had broken up with her…" Summer paused for a moment and glanced over at Julie. She seemed to be taking it in okay so far, so Summer decided to tell her the bad news.

"I tried to talk some sense into her but she wouldn't listen. The last thing she said to me was that there was nothing left in Newport for her and she just couldn't be here anymore. I'm so sorry, but I don't think she intends to be coming back anytime soon."

Julie was stunned. How could Summer not have told her this earlier? All this time she was convinced Marissa was still somewhere in Newport or at least within a couple of miles of it, but now it hit her.

Marissa could be anywhere.

She had the money in cash if she used it wisely, and Julie knew when Marissa wanted time alone, she would go to all extents to get it.

Even if it meant leaving her family, her friends and everything else behind.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


	9. The Phone Call

Hey guys. Hopefully this chapter is better than the last one; it felt so much better to write. Anyways you know the drill, Read and Review. Please be honest and tell me anything you think I could improve on. Thanks.

-----------------------------

Chapter 9 – The Phone Call

-----------------------------

A week passed by in Newport since Marissa's first disappearance, and there was still no news of her. The cops had searched the area within a 10 mile radius of Newport countless times but were still clueless as to where Marissa could be. The bus schedule gave them no lead either; there were at least 15 different destinations Marissa could have taken a bus to, and that excluded the stops along the way. Her credit card was still inactive; she obviously hadn't needed much money yet which meant she probably found someone to stay with. Yet, Julie had phoned relative after relative but no one had seen or heard from her.

It was early on Friday, just after 8am. Julie was at the station yet again, still hounding the officers on duty as to why they haven't found her daughter yet.

"What do you mean there is still no sign of her! You had a search party out looking for the past 24 hours and you've still found NOTHING!" Julie stood up and shouted at the officer behind the desk. She was tired and fed up.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Cooper but there isn't much else we can do. I know you wanted this to stay quiet, but the best thing to do right now would be to announce Marissa to the public as a missing person," calmly said the officer, leaning back in his chair.

Julie grumbled to herself before replying, "Fine. Tomorrow morning, you can announce it, but only if we don't hear anything before then," she angrily said before placing her Chanel handbag over her shoulder and walking out the door. She really didn't want the Newpsies knowing she had driven away her own daughter; it was bad enough that Kirsten and Sandy knew. It was lucky school hadn't started again yet, she really didn't need them hassling her as well.

As much as Julie cared about how she looked as a mother to society, she was really beginning to fear the worst; that Marissa may have been kidnapped or could even be, dare she say it, dead.

-----------------------------

But an hour's drive from Newport, in a street somewhere in the small town of Chino, Marissa was far from dead. In fact, she was lying on the couch in Ryan's small living room, giggling over Ryan tickling her.

"Ryan… stop" Marissa giggled, "it..." she giggled again, "please Ryan," Marissa was begging him to stop tickling her, though she did like having him touch her. She had been in Chino almost a week now, and they were slowly getting to know one another. They had shared details about their lives; Marissa had told Ryan what it was like growing up in the gated community, and Ryan let Marissa know how the other half lived. Although Ryan knew Marissa came from a wealthy background, he insisted on being a gentleman and refused to let her pay for anything apart from that first lot of groceries. Even though this annoyed Marissa, it worked in her favour to keep her location hidden from her family.

Her family. The thought of phoning home to let her family know she was alive and well had crossed Marissa's mind numerous times all week, but it was never right time for her. Every time she thought about it, she just kept remembering how they had treated her and driven her away, and it made her hatred towards them grow even more.

But today she decided that she was going to make that call. She had realised while lying in bed the previous night, that she needed to make some sort of communication with her family otherwise they may report her as missing. She wasn't going to talk to them for very long, only to let them know she was alive and to tell them to leave her alone for a while, she just needed space.

"Fine, fine, I'll stop," Ryan said, giving in and pulled away from tickling Marissa, who was now smiling as she recovered from all the laughter.

Sitting up on the sofa with Marissa now leaning against him, Ryan smiled at Marissa smiling. He loved her smile, he loved her laugh. They were beautiful, just like her.

It was unbelievable how much he had gotten used to having her around and it hadn't even been a week. It had even become difficult for him to imagine his life without her around. Since Marissa finally told him why she was in Chino and the difficulties of her life back home, their friendship had grown. Sure it was obvious there was chemistry between them, there was no denying that. But there was more to it than that. Ryan felt like he could trust her, and he knew she felt the same way about him.

As he looked over at Marissa, who was staring at the ceiling, he couldn't help but hope that she would be here for a long time to come. But for now, they will just have to take everything day by day.

"So Marissa, since you have ruined my fun for the morning," Ryan stuck out his tongue to show he was joking, "what should we today? I suggest we do something extremely fun to make up for the next couple days I have to work before I get another day off. Any ideas?"

"Well, I'm up for anything but there's just one thing I have to do first"

"What's that?"

"Call my mother." Marissa said coldly. She really despised her mother, and Ryan knew that.

"Oh. Are you sure you are ready for that?" Ryan was concerned. From what Marissa had told him, her mother wasn't a very nice woman, and he wasn't sure she was ready to deal with people back home yet.

"I don't think I'll ever be ready to talk to her but I really should let her know I'm fine. Knowing her, she'll have me announced as missing any day now."

"Hmm… I suppose you're right. Okay then, how about you make that phone call now and then we can go out somewhere for the day?"

"Sounds like we have a plan, I'll just go grab my phone." Marissa stood up and went down to the bedroom to grab her phone. When she came back, she sat down next to Ryan. She glanced over at him next to her and he gave her a supportive nod. Taking in a deep breath, Marissa began to dial Julie's phone number.

-----------------------------

Back at her Newport mansion, Julie was just sitting down at the kitchen bench with a cup of coffee and a bagel when her phone began ringing. One glance at caller ID and Julie quickly answered.

"Marissa honey, I'm so glad you're calling. Where have you been young lady?" she said half angry, half overcome with relief.

"Hi mom… listen I'm sorry I took off like that, but I really just can't be in Newport at the moment. I'll come home when I'm ready." Marissa said, anxious to see whether her mother will just let her be alone.

"What do you mean you can't be in Newport at the moment? What about Luke? You can't just leave him like that. "

"I just can't be there mom, too much has happened. And as for Luke, we are over. That's just another reason for me to get away."

"Marissa, your whole life is here, where else can you go?"

"I've got a place to stay for a while," glancing over at Ryan as she said that, and saw him smiling happily, so she continued, "So I'll be fine for now. Just leave me alone and I'll come home eventually"

"Marissa darling, you are talking nonsense. Come home now or don't bother coming home at all."

"Fine. You want me to choose? I won't come home at all then. I can't believe you. I ask for space and time to think, and you do this to me. Well have it your way then. Goodbye Mother."

"Maris-"but Julie was too late, the phone went dead. She had lost her daughter yet again, but this time it was different. This time it could be for good.

As Julie put down her phone, she thought to herself, _how on earth am I going to get Marissa back now?_

-----------------------------

Hanging up her phone, Marissa turned to talk to Ryan.

"I can't believe she could make me choose like that. She truly doesn't care a single bit about me." Marissa said angrily, outraged at her mother's words.

"I'm sure she does care about you, at least a tiny bit."

"Well she has a funny way of showing it; basically telling me she'll disown me if I don't obey her orders. Right now I just want to stay as far away from Newport as possible." Marissa told him, calming down from her angry burst slightly.

"Well you are welcome to stay with me for as long as you like," Ryan offered, hoping she would accept.

"Thank you. As long as I'm here with you, everything will be alright. I don't want to be anywhere else." She replied to his offer, accepting it gratefully, she loved being with him.

"Don't worry about it; I wouldn't want to be you to be anywhere else."

And with that, Ryan leaned forward and placed a short but gentle, caring kiss on Marissa's lips.

-----------------------------


	10. Author's Note

hey all you readers,

im so sorry for my slackness of posting in the past couple of months, they've been really hectic! First a family member died so I had to travel overseas for a while and now since ive been back a family member has gone into hospital a few times and on top of all that ive had exams!! But for once in my life now, everything is going reasonably ok yay!! i should have a new chapter up in the next week if anyone is still around to read it, so review if you want a new chapter.

thanks heaps for all your support

xx


	11. The Location

Once again I'm incredibly sorry for the lack of updates. Exams didn't go as well as hoped therefore I had alot of work to do. The cancellation of the OC didn't help my writer's block, but since this is an AU fanfiction, it made it slightly easier. I hope this chapter lives up to expectations and **hopefully **I'll have another chapter up soon.

Read and Review.

* * *

**Chapter 10 - The Location**

Marissa hesitated before pulling away from Ryan, "I can't do this right now, it's too soon. I'm not ready, you know, after everything with Luke.. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. If anyone should be sorry, it should be me. I didn't mean to push this onto you like that." Ryan's chest was suddenly filled with guilt. He knew she had just come out of a serious long term relationship and he should be giving her time, but he was feeling so many emotions he had never experienced before. This girl knew him better than anyone else, even though he'd known her a little more than a week.

"I know. I'm not saying I won't ever be ready, I'm just not right now.." Marissa's voice trailed off. She didn't want Ryan to think that she was rejecting him because he was of a lower class to her, that definitely wasn't it. He was probably more caring towards her than the majority of the population of Newport, she just wasn't ready to move on after Luke. Sure he had broken her heart numerous times, but he was her first and only boyfriend.

"Oh. Okay then.. well we should be getting going anyways. We have a big day ahead of us," Ryan said as he abruptly changed the subject. He could see that that subject was making them both uncomfortable, and that was definitely not what they both needed right now.

"We do? Where are we going?" Marissa asked, her voice full of surprise. She didn't know they had decided on where to go.  
"That's for me to know and you to find out," he replied cheekily. And with those final words, Ryan lifted himself off the couch before turning to Marissa, who had also gotten up, took her hand in his, and led them out the door.

----------------------------

Back in the Cooper McMansion, Julie was running every possibility through her head of how she could get Marissa back home, whether she wanted to or not. But so far, nothing was striking her that would work. Then she remembered a crucial detail.  
The cops had decided a few days ago, after Marissa had been missing for more than 48 hours, to track all phone calls made to and from the landline, and her cell phone.  
Realising her daughter could now be closer than ever to being found, Julie hastily dialed the numbers into her cell phone of the detective at the precinct.

"Detective Baker speaking," spoke the voice of the detective assigned to Marissa's case.

"Detective, it's Julie Cooper, Marissa just called my cell phone and I wanted to know if you had managed to track the location of the call. She refused to come home even though--" Julie was rapidly speeding through her words before being cut off by the detective.

"Slow down Mrs. Cooper, one thing at a time. Let me just put you on hold whilst I talk to another officer about Marissa's call. One moment please," Baker placed Julie on hold before disappearing for a few minutes.

Whilst he was gone, a million thoughts were racing their way through the suddenly concerned mother's mind.  
_What if the call wasn't long enough to trace her location?  
What if Marissa's gone by the time they find her location, if they have it at all?_  
Her thoughts were interrupted however, by Detective Baker's voice.

"Mrs. Cooper?"

"Yes Detective, I'm here. Did you find out about Marissa?"

"I spoke to my partner who has been in charge of tracing all your phone calls Mrs. Cooper, and he has in fact traced the last call made to your cell phone to a location in a town called Chino, approximately an hour's drive from here."

"Chino? I've never heard of it. Nevermind that though, when can you send out a team to get her?"

"Detective Griffin just needs a few minutes to get the exact location of where the call was made, but we should be able to have a party out to retrive her within the hour. I would like you and perhaps your husband to come with us when we do find her, it may help her return home more easily."

"I highly doubt that, but whatever you think may work. I'll be down at the precinct in 20 minutes. Goodbye Detective Baker and thankyou for your help."

Julie ended the call and slid her cell phone into her Gucci purse. Grabbing her keys off the counter, she made her way next door to the Cohen residence. Pressing the doorbell, Julie waited patiently outside before the front door swung open to reveal Sandy.

"Julie. What a surprise. I didn't know you were coming over. Kirsten's not here at the moment, but is there anything I can help you with?" He asked concerned. He knew that she was still going through hell trying to find Marissa.

"I actually came to see you," Julie looked at Sandy, who was apparently shocked by that before continuing, "The cops traced a call made by Marissa this morning. She's in a town somewhere about an hour from here. They asked me to bring Jimmy with me when they go to find her, but since he's out of town as usual, I was wondering if you could accompany me"

Usually Sandy wouldn't have considered going with her, but after the week she had been through, he couldn't help but be obliged to be kind and help her.

"Sure. Let me just get my things. I'll meet you in my car"

Julie walked down the driveway to the Cohen's black Range Rover. As Sandy started the car and left the gated community in which they lived, Julie thought to herself, _finally I'm going to get my daughter back. After this misadventure, I'll see she isn't allowed out again._

* * *


	12. Author's Note & Teaser

hey guys,

so sorry that its been so long since an update!

we have decided to try to start writing this fic again, and so we've got the beginning of the new chapter here,

if you like it review, and we'll keep writing!

hope you're still reading and interested!

xx

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------

Chapter 11 - The Chase

-----------------------------------

For a typical Chino day, the weather was surprisingly perfect, the morning sun bright in the sky, and the trees moving softly with the breeze.

Ryan was still holding Marissa's hand as they strolled playfully down the street, laughing and joking their way towards the busier parts of Chino.

"So where exactly are you taking me?" Marissa demanded with a cheeky grin,

"Oh, you'll see.. that is.. if you can catch me!" he retorted, breaking free from her grip on his hand and beginning to jog.

"Hey!" Marissa cried out after him, beginning to chase Ryan down the street, attracting strange looks from any passers-by.

They ran for several blocks, until they slowed down to a halt, and, out of breath, Marissa taps Ryan on the shoulder.

"Tip," she says finally, regaining her breath and she hears Ryan laugh quietly through his heavy breathing.

"Oh, looks like you got me then, seems I'm going to have to show you around now" he said, in mock disappointment.

It was the sheer simplicity and happiness of the smile Ryan then gave to Marissa that made her heart warm inside her, it felt nice to have someone she could joke with.

"So here it is," Ryan continued, shrugging and gesturing around him in a half-hearted sort of manner.

"You mean, this is Chino?" Marissa inquired,

"Yeah, there's not much to it really.. unless you know what to look for.." and with that, Ryan gave Marissa a knowing wink, took her arm in his, and began showing her

insight into a world she'd never believed she'd know.

The seemingly ill-fitted pair spent hours together, simply walking and talking, not caring where their feet took them, or how far they had travelled, or how long for.

-----------------------------------

hope you liked it!

review if you want the rest!

x


End file.
